Canoe Builder's Skill Shows In His Crafts Cover Story

Up until last July Al Bratton never built a boat in his life, but that didn't stop him from opening his shop Woodstrip Watercraft, a custom canoe business last year.

Since starting the business, the 34-year-old Lansdale resident has built eight wooden canoes each tailored to a particular customer's use and physique.

Because making wooden canoes can sometimes take about 125 hours of intensive labor, it's not surprising that Bratton is one of two full-time wooden canoe builders in the state, with the other being Middlepath Boats in Pittsburgh.

Despite the many hours of work and inexperience, Bratton said he decided to give his new career a chance because of his love of boating and desire to be his own boss.

Relying on research books and hands-on experience, Bratton took the plunge into boat making by constructing a one seater for himself.

Although it took him about 130 hours to construct, he's proud to say he's whittled the building time to about 100 hours.

Building the canoes isn't simply a job to Bratton but an attempt to get people interested in a new experience. To Bratton riding in a wooden canoe is unlike any other because of it being handmade.

Canoes bought in stores are mass produced and thus not designed for the individual buyer. However, since Bratton is building the boat from scratch he can take into consideration the buyer's weight, use and whether it will be used for racing, touring or camping. He even asks customers how they paddle - kneeling or sitting - so he properly positions the seats.

"I can custom fit the seats so it can balance right," said Bratton.

For the boat to be properly balanced in the center, Bratton has to ask his customers a delicate question.

"I find out their weight so I can place the seats in the boat," explained Bratton.

Once he gathers the necessary information, Bratton uses a plan he's adapted from a book of boat drawings.

Gathering up the necessary wood, which can be western red cedar or redwood, Bratton starts stapling and gluing the wood at the bottom of a mold. After the glue dries, he pulls out the 1,500 to 2,000 staples. Then comes about three days of sanding.

"I sand until it's perfectly smooth. Any bumps will show up in the finished producted," he explained.

Once he's satisfied that any imperfections are sanded out, Bratton covers the boat with several layers of epoxy and fiberglass and smooths those down.

The trim is put on along the top and two to three coats of varnish are applied. Bratton then adds the seats and the project is almost complete.

None of the canoes are considered finished until Bratton takes them from his Perkiomenville shop for a short run in the nearby Green Lane Reservoir or Lake Nockamixon.

"Everything goes into the water and gets tested. I kind of like to christen them first," Bratton explained.

While Bratton concedes that wooden canoes aren't as durable as some other materials, he believes they paddle better and are more efficient through the water. Also on the plus side he says is the fact the boats are a little lighter than some other materials.

While one of Bratton's 18-foot canoes weighs 61 pounds, an aluminum canoe would come in at about 80 pounds and fiberglass at 85 to 90 pounds, he says.

In addition to building the canoes, Bratton also repairs boats. He's also hoping to get together a canoe kit for hobbyists who might want to make their boats.

Since some of the materials are difficult to get from distributors, Bratton decided to get the supplies together for interested people.

Orders come through word of mouth or an ad he has running in a national boating magazine. He also hoped to pick up some work for the winter at a wooden boat show held in Newport, R.I., last week.

This year Bratton's interest in canoes expanded when he began racing. He says that he paddles to finish rather than to win. When he's in serious training, Bratton will paddle 18 miles once a week.

For Bratton, who got interested in boats 23 years ago when he received an 11-foot rowboat from his father, canoeing gives people a chance to get in touch with nature.